Which 1346 battle was a major English victory that highlighted the effectiveness of the longbow?

The story behind the answer

In 1346, English forces under Edward III took a strong defensive position and unleashed massed longbow volleys that outranged and outpaced French crossbows. The rapid rate of fire, combined with disciplined lines and prepared ground, shattered successive waves of French knights and infantry. The result was a decisive victory that showcased how missile troops could neutralize heavy cavalry.

This clash became a watershed in the Hundred Years’ War, signaling the decline of traditional chivalric warfare. It highlighted training, tactics, and technology—archers practiced from youth, and their yew bows delivered penetrating power at distance. The engagement also saw some of Europe’s earliest battlefield gunpowder weapons, and its lessons echoed in later English triumphs like Poitiers and Agincourt.